Colts Add Simon and McGruder

ColtPower.com

09/01/2005

Colts President Bill Polian said that the contract with Corey Simon is complete "in principal". And the Colts added yet another defensive tackle to the mix, signing Oklahoma's Larry McGruder to the roster.

Both the Colts and the agent for Corey Simon confirmed that the Eagles' number one draft pick in 2000 has agreed to join the Colts. Simon's agent, Roosevelt Barnes, said that both Bill Polian and Tony Dungy played a major role in convincing Simon that the Colts were the right team out of the numerous teams that expressed an interest in signing him.

The contract is expected to be in the range of 5 years and worth $30 million.

Barnes said, "Along with Dwight Freeney on the defensive side of the ball, this gives them a legitimate pass rush up the middle.

"I think he'll bring some of the same elements that (Warren) Sapp brought to Tampa Bay when he was wreaking havoc down there."

While the Colts head to Cincinnati on Friday to play the Bengals in their final preseason matchup, Simon is expected to arrive in Indianapolis for his physical.

Simon won't be the only new face in the defensive tackle mix for the Colts. The team announced that they have released defensive lineman Blake Lobel and added defensive tackle Lynn McGruder, a 6'1, 307-pound undrafted rookie out of Oklahoma who was recently released by Tampa Bay. McGruder started his collegiate career at Tennessee and then transferred to Oklahoma. He started 11 of 13 games in his senior year, registering 24 tackles and two sacks and played in both of Oklahoma's championship games.

McGruder's transfer to Oklahoma occurred after he lost his scholarship at Tennessee. He was charged with possession and intent to distribute marijuana, but those charges were eventually dropped. But he learned from the experience and realized how quickly anyone can lose everything they have been working towards in life.

"You take a lifetime building it up, and one thing can take it down, he said earlier this year in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

"The bottom line is I was raised right. I made one little mistake. I got my second opportunity, and I took advantage of it right away."

Since then, he's not only been a model citizen, he became a bonafide hero when he and teammate Mark Clayton helped save a family of five that were in a burning car at the scene of an accident. McGruder risked his life to pull four of the family members out of the car.

"I was just put in that spot by God to help people," said McGruder. "Anyone in my shoes would've reacted the same way."